Certainly I was a bit baffled at first when I learned that people are paying for testimonials on Fiverr (just look up the search for the word testimonial at Fiverr) and even freelancer sites.
These paid gigs are to leave reviews on Yelp, Google+ pages, and many other places that consumers look at in order to pick the best service for their needs.
It might be a quick buck, and definitely a boost to any business needing to build their reputation in a jiffy, but is this really an ethical practice? Normally testimonials are suppose to be something given by already established clients who have tried a business’s product or service. It is done with honesty, and may not always be positive.
Now I am sure that there are places out there that have made up some testimonials. That is an old frowned upon practice. If a business is paying for testimonials, is it any different?
Some of the services offered on sites like Fiverr are to put together a video testimonial. Now, after having seen a few sites use video testimonials, I was able to easily point out which were fake testimonials and which were surprisingly good at fooling me that the customer feedback was real. However, there are some really convincing ones out that that even some shrewd consumers won’t fall for.
Some of the things I noticed in fake video testimonials were:
- Very vague on service offered.
- Did not seem to be sure on what they were filming a testimonial for.
- Very short film – under 1 minute.
Ones that were very convincing were longer than a minute and detailed enough that clued me in that they may have really been a customer… or really good at weaving a whopper.
I am not going to write an article on how to make a video testimonial, let alone a written one, sound convincing. I do not support such a practice. I can barely stomach some of the opportunities out there to leave fake comments on blogs for money.
However, I came across this and thought I would share it with my readers and let you decide for yourselves if you think it is wrong, and how you would view businesses that paid for testimonials. Would you do business with them?
If you have a business and asked for video testimonials in particular, would you pay for them? Or would you ask for volunteered testimonials?
Paying for testimonials is definitely unethical, but I’m sure it’s nothing new, just as you pointed out that companies are also in the habit of making up their own testimonials. I’m a little surprised that Fiverr allows this type of transaction, but I suppose they act as nothing more than a middle-man.
I’m surprised, but then again, I think Fiverr could care less… after all, they still get money after every transaction.
It is a content which we don’t speak usually about.Yes i saw too in Fiverr and such alternative sites.They need sales so they allow.There are many such things in fiverr like buying likes and all.I believe all are not that cool safe to use.What do You say?
A couple of years ago I attended a two-day training by a very well-known public figure. One of the segments was on “social proof”. We had a group exercise after that segment which basically was to tell another attendee (a stranger) what you do and the results someone would have working with you, then that person would ‘pretend’ they had been your client on video that you would put on your website. I am still reeling from that one.
Generally, I think this is totally unethical. I would give absolutely no attention to a business that paid for testimonials . . . they’re FAKE. It’s dishonest. It’s bullshit.
I would never pay for testimonials. I ask people who’ve worked with me for real testimonials :).
I suppose it’s possible that some people don’t really understand what they’re doing, though. Someone new to business might try it, not really knowing what they’re doing. It may or may not be unethical in those cases . . . but I still wouldn’t do business with them.
From what I can see, the whole internet will become fake if we are not careful. If people can’t manage to find real people to write testimonials for their business, then that is sad really. The world used to run on trust (or something approaching that), where at least you could believe what was being said. Now you have to be wary.
I sometimes feel quite cynical about it, because those of us who have actual real people, real clients writing good things about us us (the people offering genuinely recommended services) will be being doubted too. It puts lazy scamming idiots on a level playing field with people who work hard for those testimonials by building client relationships….which is just plain unfair!
Rant over :o)
I never know that I will get paid for writing testimonials. Awesome post. Thanks a lot
Hello Nile! Totally Wrong! How can someone even think about buying a testimony? Wow ! Great share.. Chery :))
Hey Nile,
I leave the judgement to those who have not gotten paid to do other things. Many would find unethical. I would never sell my testimony, which is my life story and still evolving. Let us just say, companies are getting desperate to market. Wanting that one viral effect by people spreading the word. Hey, if you can not get is naturally with product or service. They, will pay for it and go after people’s greed for money.
Thanks Nile, thoughtful article.
Thanks Nile!
First of all, I have to admit that I’m pretty naive with regards to this kind
of practice.
While I was aware that sites like fiverr were offering many unconventional services,
it never occurred to me that paying for testimonials would be one of them.
I have to admit that personally this is a practice I would never endorse.
It just doesn’t seem ethical to pay someone directly for a customer testimonial,
especially when they’re not an existing customer or client.
Thanks for sharing this article, because sadly,paying someone for providing this
type of service, simply had not dawned on me!
It is very difficult to tell which reviews are paid and which are not. The temptation to build a good opinion about our product is great. In my opinion, this is a reprehensible practice. In the long run, it brings more harm than good.